Nagpur : Govt calls up private doctors to help curb TB

The government plans to tie up with private practitioners to ensure that each tuberculosis (TB) patient takes his daily medicine, minimizing the risk of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB. As part of this, the union government launched three new initiatives on Monday from Nagpur under the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) to tackle the disease that kills nearly three lakh patients annually. Maharashtra alone accounts for 10% of the total TB burden of IndiaSnehlata Shrivastav | Updated: September 15, 2015, 15:51 IST

57 फीसदी टीबी मरीजों को दी जाती हैं गलत दवाएंNagpur: The government plans to tie up with private practitioners to ensure that each tuberculosis (TB) patient takes his daily medicine, minimizing the risk of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB. As part of this, the union government launched three new initiatives on Monday from Nagpur under the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) to tackle the disease that kills nearly three lakh patients annually. Maharashtra alone accounts for 10% of the total TB burden of India.

Director general of health services, government of India, Dr Jagdish Prasad later told reporters that government is giving 121 CBNAAT machines across the country, including Gadchiroli, Gondia and Chandrapur medical colleges. Another 500 machines will be added in the next two years to detect TB in every patient instead of the 50% diagnosis at present.

The second project, ‘99 DOTS, aims to reach TB drugs to 99% of the patients, with a family member being made responsible. A missed call will lead to delivery of required medicines, and authorities will also keep track and contact patients to ensure medicine stock is picked up.

The UATBC scheme will involve private practitioners in treating patients, since almost 50% patients take treatment in private set up. The physician will be expected to report each TB case to the government, and get 1,000 as remuneration. This scheme has been implemented in cities like Patna in Bihar, Mehsana in Gujarat and Mumbai in Maharashtra. The patients will also get free medicines from private chemists. Indian Medical Association as well as the Chemists and Druggists Associations will be roped in to support the programme.